A Soviet-era passenger plane, an Antonov An-24 operated by Angara Airlines, tragically crashed in Russia’s Far East on Thursday, July 24, 2025, killing all 48 people on board. The incident, which occurred in the Amur region, prompted a criminal probe into potential violations of air safety rules.
The aircraft lost contact with ground dispatchers around 1 p.m. local time while flying several kilometers from the airport in the town of Tynda. The flight had originated in Khabarovsk, made a stop in Blagoveshchensk, and was en route to Tynda. Among those on board were six crew members. Emergency officials reported that the plane did not issue a distress signal or indicate any technical issues before it vanished from radar.
Rescue teams later located the charred wreckage approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda, a town with a population of less than 30,000. Amur region Governor Vasily Orlov confirmed the absence of survivors at the crash site and declared a three-day period of mourning over the air disaster, expressing his deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Authorities initially reported 49 people aboard the plane, but this number was later revised to 48.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, responsible for probing major crimes, also confirmed the fatalities and dispatched forensic specialists and aviation experts to the crash site to assist with the investigation and document all available evidence. The agency’s chief investigator, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed Far East transportation investigators to submit a report on their findings as swiftly as possible. State-run media cited an unnamed emergency official stating that the crash site was in a remote, mountainous area on a slope, posing challenges for rescue helicopters to land. The Emergency Situations Ministry released a video filmed from a rescue helicopter, showing a plume of smoke rising from a heavily wooded area where the wreckage was located.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the air disaster. At least one Chinese national was on the flight, according to Chinese state media, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to send a message of condolence to Putin, expressing deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to their families.
The ‘Flying Tractors’
The An-24, a Soviet-era twin turboprop aircraft, was reportedly more than 50 years old, according to civil aviation authorities cited by TASS. Despite its age, the aircraft had received a renewed airworthiness certificate in 2021, which would have allowed it to operate through 2036. The transport prosecutor’s office in the Far East stated that the crash occurred 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Tynda, and that the plane reportedly attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact was lost.
Angara, a Siberian airline, operates 10 An-24 aircraft built between 1972 and 1976. These planes, nicknamed “flying tractors,” are reliable workhorses suited for Siberia’s sub-zero conditions and ability to operate without runways. Angara was one of two Siberian airlines that asked the Russian government to extend the service life of these Antonov aircraft. However, maintenance costs have increased due to Western sanctions affecting investment and access to parts. Of the almost 1,340 An-24 planes built, 88 have been lost in crashes. Their age is a concern, and while many are due to be retired, mass production of their replacement, the Ladoga, is not expected until 2027 at the earliest.
A recent plane crash involving an An-24 aircraft is likely to raise concerns about the safety of operating aging planes, especially given the difficulty of accessing investment and spare parts due to Western sanctions. The crash may also lead other countries that operate the An-24, including North Korea, Kazakhstan, Laos, Cuba, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe, to review their fleets. The crash site, located in a remote, densely forested area near Tynda, lacked road access, complicating rescue efforts. President Putin expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Pakistan also expressed its solidarity and condolences over the tragic incident. PTV reported that Pakistan mourns the loss of lives in the plane crash in Russia’s far east, with the country’s leadership conveying their sympathies.
Source: Arab News
Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. Aviation incidents have been frequent in Russia, particularly in recent years, as international sanctions have impacted the country’s aviation sector. The ongoing probe will seek to uncover whether the cause was a technical malfunction, human error, or adverse weather conditions, which some reports suggested were present at the time of the crash.
